Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-03-12
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-03-12

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on steers and higher undertones were noticed on heifers. Demand was mostly good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average with a limited offering of attractive cattle seen. Plain to average quality calves sold on good demand, much like last week. Most cattle were long weaned from 45-100 days. Package sizes were mostly small this week with no load lots seen. CME positions pushed higher today but traded mostly lower late last week and early this week. The March contract closed today at 248.975, 3.325 lower than last Tuesdays close. The April closed at 254.125 today, 3.05 lower than last Tuesdays close. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week with a large crowd on hand. Ranchers and order buyers were both very active as they bid on offerings today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was good to very good with additional buyers in the market this week. Packers opted to send all cows to immediate harvest this week as supplies remain tight. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher. Very few feeding cows were seen this week thus no comparisons can be made. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mixed today. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on good demand again this week. This class sold mostly firm in a narrow comparison. Young cow quality was mostly average to attractive this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $305.91/cwt on 172 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits −134.53 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$305.91

172 head · 548 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,676

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$201

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2

$34.64/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−4.52

vs MT average

+29.74 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	547	307.64	1,684	160
Medium and Large 1-2	558	284.68	1,589	10thin
Medium and Large 2	543	273.00	1,482	2thin

One grade step is worth $34.64/cwt here — about $201 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

16 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $468.13, low $352.48, median $440.43 across 16 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale172 hd

305.91

—

MT average2 barns · 754 hd

310.43

−4.52

National average176 barns · 16,729 hd

276.17

+29.74

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−134.53

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	High	1,643	127.95	2,102	37
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,678	116.78	1,960	6thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,403	115.80	1,625	42
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,159	114.47	1,327	84
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,670	111.00	1,854	1thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,311	$1,907	4thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,284	$1,800	8

Every lot, as filed

72 lots · USDA AMS · Miles City Livestock Commission Auction - Miles City, MT

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium 1-2	300–350	325	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,040	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	434	341.05/cwt	335.00–355.00	1,480	50
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	486	309.00/cwt	309.00–309.00	1,502	10
Heifers	Medium 1	350–400	385	339.00/cwt	339.00–339.00	1,305	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	502	321.00/cwt	321.00–321.00	1,611	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	471	318.44/cwt	315.00–327.00	1,500	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	535	289.97/cwt	282.00–294.00	1,551	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	633	264.68/cwt	261.00–268.50	1,675	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	537	309.36/cwt	302.00–315.50	1,661	99
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	543	273.00/cwt	273.00–273.00	1,482	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,677	1
Steers	Large 1	600–650	643	289.00/cwt	289.00–289.00	1,858	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	368	346.39/cwt	340.00–350.00	1,275	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	630	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,764	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	397	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	1,334	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	435	313.00/cwt	313.00–313.00	1,362	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	564	304.86/cwt	290.00–308.00	1,719	61
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	485	327.53/cwt	317.00–336.00	1,589	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	428	332.94/cwt	328.00–337.50	1,425	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	685	282.03/cwt	274.00–286.00	1,932	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	519	328.26/cwt	317.50–332.00	1,704	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	366	357.46/cwt	356.00–370.00	1,308	10
Steers	Medium 1	400–450	433	348.57/cwt	335.00–352.50	1,509	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	620	308.83/cwt	308.00–310.50	1,915	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	725	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,958	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	461	353.00/cwt	353.00–353.00	1,627	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	665	292.75/cwt	288.00–296.00	1,947	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	308	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	1,147	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	565	317.54/cwt	312.00–323.00	1,794	28
Steers	Medium 1	450–500	450	342.00/cwt	342.00–342.00	1,539	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	621	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,664	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	358	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,307	3
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,210	162.94/cwt	156.00–170.00	1,972	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,045	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	1,902	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	683	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	1,769	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	874	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	1,870	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,209	119.73/cwt	118.00–123.00	1,448	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,985	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	2,223	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,320	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	1,439	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,300	118.63/cwt	115.00–120.50	1,542	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,125	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	1,384	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,163	116.49/cwt	109.00–117.00	1,355	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,388	102.74/cwt	96.00–108.00	1,426	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Non-Traditional	—	945	123.74/cwt	122.50–125.00	1,169	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Non-Traditional	—	1,230	109.50/cwt	109.50–109.50	1,347	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,413	123.20/cwt	123.00–123.50	1,741	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,428	116.45/cwt	111.00–121.00	1,663	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	104.38/cwt	97.00–108.00	1,226	11
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,670	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	1,854	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,617	117.74/cwt	117.00–118.50	1,904	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,151	114.73/cwt	109.00–119.00	1,321	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	920	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	754	1
Bulls	—	—	2,013	144.70/cwt	142.00–147.00	2,913	6
Bulls	—	—	1,705	130.03/cwt	125.00–139.00	2,217	11
Bulls	—	—	1,578	118.45/cwt	112.00–124.00	1,869	13
Bulls	—Non-Traditional	—	1,320	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,650	1
Bulls	—Non-Traditional	—	1,401	120.95/cwt	116.00–124.00	1,695	5
Bulls	—Non-Traditional	—	1,120	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	1,859	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	918	204.47/cwt	175.00–225.00	1,877	32
Stock Cows	Large 1-2	—	870	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,114	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,041	156.12/cwt	126.00–174.00	1,625	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,065	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,619	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,045	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,777	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,311	1,907.09/head	1,800.00–1,950.00	1,907	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,284	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	670	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,688	3
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,122	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	1,874	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,155	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,733	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	1000–1050	1,015	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,411	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1200–1250	1,225	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,776	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,095	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	1,785	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	568	282.41/cwt	280.00–285.00	1,604	7

How this sale compares

Montana weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Montana auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Montana feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →